Beehive.



e. c. RAHN.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION. nnnn JULY 21, 1913.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"Fig. l

r0A #070 QQMA, 5r fmvazowg fig. 2.

THE NORRIS PEIERS CO.. PHO1D L|THO.. WASHINGTON D. C,

G. G. RAHN.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1913.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHBETSSHEBT 2.

THE NORRI5 PETERS CCL, PHbmLITh-X. WASHINGTON. D. C.

G. G. RAHN.

BEBHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1913.

1,1 16,923. Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"Fig. 6

mum

mug

W/ W Q I MAP/W01? THE NORRIS PETERSCQ, PHOToLITHQ, WASHINGTON. 0. C4

UNITED s 'rnrnsrnrnnfr onn cn.

GEORGEC. KAI-IN, onHA'ILEYBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA, AssIGnon' OF ONE-HALF To MARTIN J. ODONNELL, or cLnvnLANnoHro.

BEEHIVE.

Original applicationfiled January 23, 1913. Serial No. 743,733.

. v k Serial No. 780,381.

. Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beehives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises a cornbined'ventilating cover and feedingdevice for beehives, substantially as herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is also directed to my application for improvements in bee-hives filed January 23, 1913, Ser. No. 743,733, of which this application is a division.

The present invention is designed to provide a cover and feeding device adapted to fit and be used with any bee-hive of standard construction, andthe parts thereof are particularly constructed to ventilate the hive,

to hold food and drink in an accessible'place within the top of the hive, to protect the bees and honey within the hive and to generally promote the development and health of the bees and the storing of honey.

'In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view vertically through a beehive embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the cap and cover respectively, and Fig. 5 is a 4 plan view of the cover and the feed cup and showing the rim of the cup in section. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the gage ring and feed cup respectively. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a bee-hive without the cap and showing a bottle sealed within the feed cup. Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the bottle and valve-seat respectively.

The bee hive shown comprises the separate bottom board 2, brood boX 3, and cover 41-, all of which are of standard size and separably related.

Box 3 has the usual opening for the bees at its bottom and front, but as shown this opening is guarded'byan entrance box 1 which is more fully described in the application above referred to. v

Cover 1 resemblesjthe ordinary coverin shape and size and in that it is provided with two side cleats 5 and is adapted to rest in slidableposition on any one of thebox sections of a bee-hive.- However, this cover dif- Specification of Letters Patent.

foods placed therein.

fers from the ordinary coverin that it is provided with a central opening 6' bordered by araised molding 7 having two notches 8 g in one outer side-edge and a recessed seat 9 at its inner edges. A cap 10'fits loosely but c'losely 'about'molding 7 and rests upon the top of'theIcover in spaced relation with :the

top of the molding so thatthe bees have an e I Patented Nov. 10, 1914. Divided. and this application filed July entrance and *ex'it'by Way' of the notches 8, I l but, onlywhen the cap 10 isset as shown in i Fig. owith the notches 8 opposite a channel- 11 anda central door 12in the bottom edge of the cap. The-roof of the channel is-below the top surface of the molding 7, see

Fig.2, which relation of parts with the projecting lips 13on the cap at either side of the door, protect the interior from the direct raysof light and .weather.. The indirect passage thus provided also servesfor ventilation as well asan entrance and exit for the bees. But if the bees are to be shut in atthe top of the hive and the cap-merelyused for ventilation, the cap is reversely placed over opening 6 which bringsthe solid side 14 of the cap opposite-notches 8 and places door-12 opposite the unnotched side 15 of molding 7. The slight spacefbetween the molding and the cap edgeaffords ventilation but not enough room for the bees to, pass, especially as 'thefroof of the door is below the top surfaceof the molding. This manner of placingthe cap upon the cover preventsfbees fromother colonies from entering thebee-hive and robbing this pan is much smaller than the top so that the side walls of the cup are spaced apart from "the sides of opening 6, and slots 19 in the'sidewalls of the pan permit the bees to pass fromthe hive to the panto feed on any liquid or solid It is often desirable to -remove the cap, and the bees'within the hive are prevented from escaping at thisttimebya ring 20 of wire cloth or perforatedjmaterial which is seated in the round opening 18 centrally-in the top of thepan. The overlapping top and the retired walls of thepan also. cutoff i i the light to the interior of the hive to a certain extent when the cap is removed insupplying the food or in observing the bees If the cap is left off for any length of time a are easily guarded against. Ring 20 has an annular bead 21 about the same whereby the depth of the liquid food placed in the-pan may be gaged so it will not overflow through tlie slots 19 into the hive. The bottom ofith'e pan isflush withor slightly raised'above the bottom of the cover so that theipan willnot engageor strike the top edges ofs'the box 3 in sliding movements of the cover.

By L locating the feeding and ventilating device-at the highestpoint of thehivean'd within the hive, the bees canIbe: fed in cold 20 weather orat night. Toillustrate, as the heat of the colony rises. the-bees cluster aroundzthe feed=pan and'carry the food to the combs below. Thus feeding can be done at any timev without disturbing thebees or exposinglth'emto the weather andalso without attracting: other colonies. to robthem.

q Veal: colonies. are also built uptto strong and: healthy colonies by feeding,- the bees. at times of theyearwhen there arevno natural 0 honey. soureesl Also a small amount. of food may be furnished daily in: the spring, of: the year before there are any natural honey sources and; the queen bee will: StELEtI to fill the combs; with brood and a: large early swarm.will be the result. This is of ad; vantage, as. swarms coming early. in; the sea.- son. are! usually. thetbest honey producers. The central opening in the ,cover will also carry. offsall moisture arising from the a col;

40 ony and the hive.- and the combs-will; be kept'dry. A cover havingaarelatively small opening is also.- of advantage in: that a new queen can be; introduced to a t colony without removing-the. cover and a breaking; the sealed joints; This step may betakenbyremoving cap .10 and the pan andlseatinga queen cage 7 uponthe-top barsiof the framesi221within box 3. When there is doubt as to Whether the colony is :queenlessc. and itis. undesirable to remove .the frames; to searclrfor thetqueen, all that isneeessary is togplace the; queen cage .within the cover and: the action] of; the beeswill indicatelwhether the new. queen is acceptable; to. the. colony. The: cover; as

thus: constructed with afcentral, bordered opening; G is: also foft utility in .thatra, queen? mating box, canv be placed. thereon. in lieu of the cap 10. The objot'hereisto unite the .small: colonies which" occupy. the queenmating box- Withi the larger colony in,- tbox 3 after: the queen breeding seasonihasapassed: The feed pan-16isalso ofutilityin. raising young bees, as the. colony "canbei fed Witha bottle 23when upheld in. inverted position within a. valvegseat 24;..Wl1l0hdS: adapted;.;t0

rest Within opening 18 of the pan. The screw-cover 25 of the bottle has segmental 'openings 26 arranged to co-act' with like openings in the valve-seat 2 1 and the fiow on the flange of the valve-seat 24:. The

level ofthe liquid in the pan 16 may be thereby constantly maintained, as it will be noted that the slots 19in the, side .wall of thefeedcu'p are at, a much higher elevation than the bottom of thevalve-seat; If the bees are fed fast theydo not raise'as much brood as when fedslow. and-regular. But it often. happenslthat late. in the season the beekeeper finds the hive short of-stores and he. Wants. to. feed them fast and he can do so zwith the bottle and pan as shown in Fig. 8

Vhat I' claim is:

1. In a bee-hive, a hive cover having a central opening, witha raised'molding about the same, apan seated within said opening, and a removable-cap seated; in sleeved relation with said molding.

2. In aibee-hive, a; hive cover andaremovable capltherefor; having an opening in its side, said; cover-having an. opening and a notched; molding about: the same adapted to be inclosediby. said'cap, andla pan removably seated-:withinsaid opening with its bottom substantially; flush. with,- the bottom Qfi said cover. 1

In a; bee-hive, aihoxs sectiomand are: movable cover therefor having an opening therein bordered by. a raised :molding, having anotched passage for the bees anda removable icap toaseat over 1 said 5 opening having. a border; with apassage-way. to conincidewith said 5 notched passage when the parts .are. assemblediin one: position of -rest.

, 4; Inabee-hive, anbox section and alcover therefor; having. a central? opening. bordered by, a notched moldingand: a, cap for said opening having a; projecting; border pro vided; with a. side :passage ofless height than said molding;

5;. n ahee-hive, a. boxsection and aremovable cover; therefor providedlwith a centralaopening-having a raisedborder with a vertical passage, for thebees, and; a cap for said cover having a later l; open g: I in t edge adapted to register withheld passage when l thecap i is t in one position and; to be closed'ifithe uapds seatfid otherwise.

6.; IllyfirbQQ-lliVfl, aboX; section and are mova l cover providediwith a centraliopening, and a bee-escape guard for said openngrcompri gl a .pan and: a, screen ring suspended: wi hin aid; pan- Elna bee-hi e, a box section: and-1a; removable cover; provided with areetengular pening. centrally therein, a rectangulancap 1 30 having a flanged border to cover said opening, a flanged an removably suspended within said opening, and a screen guard for said pan.

8. In a bee-hive, a cover having side cleats and a central opening. a feed pan having a top flange to suspend said cover completely within said opening and provided with side openings to give the bees Within the hive access to the pan, and a cap to cover said cover opening and the pan. v

' 9. In a bee-hive, a cover having an openingwith a notched molding aboutthe same, a feed pan having an open top seated upon said molding, a screen ring seated Within saidpan, and a cap having a notched border to rest upon said cover about said molding.

10. Ina bee-hive, a cover having a feed pan removably seated therein, a cap to cover said feed pan, and a screen ring for said pan having an annular bead about the same.

11. In a bee-hive, a cover having a central opening with a recessed edge, a pan having Copies of this patent may be obtained for a projecting top seated within said recessed edge, a screenmember depending fromsaidj of, and having openings in its side for the passage of the bees, and a removable cap to seat upon said cover over said pan.

13. In a bee-hive, a cover having a removable feed pan suspended therein, said pan having bee-entrance openings in its sides and a circular opening in its top, in combination with a bottle having an outlet end adapted to fit said pan top opening and to extend below the level of said pan side openings In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE C. RAI-IN; Witnesses:

ALICE C. MCQUARRIE, JAMEs MoQUARRm.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G." 

